Strike plate for door latch



June 29, 1965 B. T. WHALEN STRIKE PLATE FOR DOOR LATCH Filed March 8, 1963 United States Patent() 3,191,989 STRIKE PLATE FR DOOR LAT-CII Burnell Thomas tft/halen,V 1210 Kilburn Ave., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Filed Mar. 8, i963, Ser. No. 263,845 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-341.11)

This invention relates to strike plates for door latches, having particular reference to plates having rollers mounted in their working edge portions to minimize friction in passage of 4the latch or a bolt of the door lock over the plate in closing the door.

In the art to which the invention relates door locks are equipped with spring actuated latches or bolts which, when the door is closed, pass over a latch plate and engage in an opening cut in the plate.

Such an arrangement can be a constant source of annoyance, particularly where the door is actuated by a door closer. In this latter the spring urged latch stops at contact with the forward edge of the strike plate and fails to latch in the plate opening, due principally to verti-grease friction which is intensified by cold Weather. This necessitates slamming the door in closing it manually,.or Where a door closer is used having the spring of the door 4closer at high ten-sion, resulting in loud and troublesome door slamming, and also causing diiculty in open-ing lthe door due to the .tension on the spring. Also the door closer requires frequent adjustment for temperature changes. Lubrication does not solve the problem.

The present device is designed to overcome this by use of rollers so mounted on the strike plate as to permit easy passage of the latch over the platel without drag or resistance.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the accompanying description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

lIn the drawings, wherein is illustrated a preferred emhodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a strike plate with rollers in accordance with my invention for use with locks having in addition to the usu-al latch an automatic dead locking bol-t or trigger latch, shown broken away in part and with the rollers and bearings partly in vertical section.

FIG. 2 is a front edge View of the plate shown in FIGURE 1 and with the rollers and bearings in vertical section.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a strike plate with a single roller, shown in part broken away and partly in vertical section.

IFIG. 4 is a partial front edge view of a strike plate as in FIGURE 3, shown with the roller and bearings in vertical section.

FIG. 5 is an end View of a strike plate with roller shown in relation to a latch and lock, with the latter shown broken away and the latch depressed by the roller.

FIG. 6 is a showin-g as in FIGURE 5, but with the roller sh-own in position of initial contact with the latch [and the latch projected.

Having reference to the drawings, 1 indicates a strike plate for door locks as in common use, to be attached by screws through openings 2. The plate includes a forward wing 3 over which a latch or bolt passes to engage in a latch receiving opening 4.

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The roller and pin are of rust proof polished steel for smooth operation without binding in the bearings. The plates 6 are tapered, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, `and serve to reinforce the latch engaging portion 5 of the strike plate, and lin 'addition 4mount the roller projecting inwardly of the strike plate, projecting about one thirty-second of an inch, as indicated at '24 in FIGURES 5 and 6,.

In FIGURES l and 2 is shown a two roller strike plate I0 for -use with a lock equipped with an automatic dead locking bolt or trigger latch. In this the lower part of the latch engagin-g portion of the strike pla-te carries a roller 11 xed on a pin 12 rotatable in bearing elements 13 and 14 of bearing plates 15 and 16 fixed to the strike plate. In addition the upper forward portion of the strike plate 10 has fixed thereto a bearing plate 17 with bearing 18, which in conjunction with a bearing 19 on the bearing plate v16 Vmount for rotation a secondary pin 20 on which is fixed a roller 21, this roller being set back in relation to the roller 11 about one-eighth of an inch. The rollers throughout are preferably about three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter for most eifective working with standard door locks, but could vary according to the style and type of the lock and strike plate and the size of these. j v In the use of the device the inclined working face of the door latch Z2 of the lock 23, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 meets the inne-r face of the .roller on the strike plate depressing the latch without binding and with a minimum of friction. The latch must run freely and easily over the strike plate, and for this rust proof polished steel rollers and pins are preferably used with brass bearings, but it is to be understood that variations in this are readily conceivable and the preferred embodiments are illustrative and not limitative. The bearing plates may also be formed integral with the strike plate and with suitable bushings if required. These bearing plates are tapered and serve to reinforce the strike plate against the shock of contact of the latch with the roller.

For convenience of illustration the rollers and associated parts are shown somewhat enlarged, but rollers TA6 inch in diameter are effective and provide smooth operation.

I claim:

A strike plate for a door lock, the door lock having a spring urged latch mounted on the door and `said latch having an inclined working face, and the strike plate having a latch engaging opening and a latch engaging portion in advance of said opening, and including a bearing plate on each side of said latch enga-ging portion, the bearing plates having a pin mounted therein and a roller on the pin, the forward edge portions of the latch engaging portion of the strike plate being cut away complementary to the curve of the roller; in which the roller is mounted projecting outward of the strike plate latch engaging portion suicient tor the latch to be retracted by the roller outwardly of the plane of the outer face of said latch engaging portion before the latch contacts the outer face of said latch engaging portion, the strike plate latch engaging portion having a flat outer face by which the latch may pass from the roller to said latch engaging portion held against moving inwardly .of the plane of the outer tace of said latch engaging portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS `47,741 5/65 Morris 2192-4341 :111 201,572 3/7-8 Taylor 292-341'1 .1 1 i 1,741,258 1.2/29 Utley 292--34L11 ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

M. HENVSON WOOD, In., Examiner. 

